General Manager
Southwestern Ontario
Executive Leadership Opportunity
Our client is a respected Canadian organization with a long-standing reputation for quality, customer service, and trusted relationships across its customer and dealer network. As the business continues to invest in operational excellence and sustainable growth, the company is seeking an experienced General Manager to provide strategic and operational leadership across the organization.
Reporting directly to the President, the General Manager will assume full responsibility for the day-to-day leadership of the business while helping shape its long-term strategic direction. This executive role offers the opportunity to lead an established organization through its next phase of growth by strengthening operational performance, supporting sales expansion, developing people, and driving continuous improvement across all functional areas.
This opportunity is well suited for a hands-on leader who enjoys balancing strategy with execution and who thrives in entrepreneurial, customer-focused manufacturing and distribution environments.
The Opportunity
The General Manager will provide leadership across operations, sales, service, finance, supply chain, purchasing, logistics, and administration while working closely with the President to execute the company's strategic plan.
Success in this role will require the ability to build strong relationships throughout the organization and across an established Canadian dealer network while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer service, and continuous improvement.
The successful candidate will lead an experienced management team while ensuring the business continues to deliver exceptional customer experiences, operational excellence, and profitable growth.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Partner with the President to develop and execute the company's strategic plan.
- Translate strategic objectives into measurable operational initiatives.
- Monitor organizational performance through meaningful KPIs and business metrics.
- Identify opportunities, manage risk, and provide thoughtful recommendations supporting long-term growth.
- Foster a culture built on accountability, collaboration, innovation, and customer focus.
Sales Leadership & Customer Success
- Provide leadership and coaching to Sales and Service teams.
- Strengthen relationships with Dealers across Canada.
- Support sales growth through effective account management, pricing discipline, and market development.
- Oversee annual sales planning, marketing initiatives, dealer communications, and customer experience.
- Champion responsive service and long-term customer partnerships.
Operations & Supply Chain Leadership
- Lead assembly operations, warehouse management, scheduling, logistics, inventory, and distribution.
- Drive Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives across operations.
- Improve productivity, quality, safety, inventory accuracy, and delivery performance.
- Support implementation of improved systems, warehouse management technologies, and inventory processes.
- Ensure operational performance aligns with customer expectations and business objectives.
Financial & Business Performance
- Lead annual budgeting, forecasting, and operating planning.
- Review financial performance, margins, operating costs, inventory, and working capital.
- Identify opportunities to improve profitability and operational efficiency.
- Provide sound financial and operational recommendations to the President.
People Leadership
- Lead, coach, mentor, and develop an engaged leadership team.
- Build performance management and employee development programs.
- Support succession planning, recruitment, onboarding, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Create a culture where accountability, respect, safety, and continuous improvement are embedded throughout the organization.
The Ideal Candidate
The successful candidate will be an experienced business leader who combines strategic thinking with a practical, hands-on leadership style. They will possess exceptional business acumen, strong emotional intelligence, and the ability to build trust with employees, customers, suppliers, and ownership alike.
They will have demonstrated success improving operations while simultaneously supporting commercial growth and developing high-performing teams.
Qualifications
The successful candidate will bring:
- Progressive executive leadership experience within manufacturing, assembly, industrial distribution, Commercial HVAC systems, or a related technical product environment.
- Proven success leading cross-functional teams across operations, sales, purchasing, supply chain, finance, warehouse, and customer service.
- Strong financial acumen including budgeting, forecasting, cost control, margin management, and business reporting.
- Experience leading supply chain optimization and vendor management.
- Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Six Sigma, ERP, WMS, or similar operational improvement initiatives.
- Outstanding communication, coaching, and relationship-building skills.
- Experience working within entrepreneurial or privately owned organizations is considered an asset.
Technical designations such as P.Eng., C.E.T., or related engineering experience are welcomed but not required.
First-Year Priorities
During the first twelve months, the successful candidate will:
- Validate and execute the strategic business plan.
- Strengthen sales planning and dealer development initiatives.
- Improve operational and financial reporting.
- Introduce structured performance management and employee development programs.
- Launch practical Continuous Improvement initiatives throughout the organization.
- Develop a roadmap for warehouse optimization, inventory accuracy, and technology enhancements.
Leadership Profile
This position requires an authentic, collaborative leader who earns credibility through consistency, action and sound judgment. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable on the production floor, in customer meetings, and in the boardroom.
Success will come from balancing strategic leadership with operational discipline while preserving the strong relationships, values, and reputation that have made the organization successful.
Why Join?
This is a rare opportunity to lead a well-established Canadian business with an outstanding reputation and a loyal customer base. The successful candidate will have significant influence over the organization's future direction while working alongside an engaged ownership team committed to long-term growth and operational excellence.
If you are an accomplished operational executive who enjoys building teams, improving performance, and driving sustainable business growth, we welcome the opportunity to speak with you.
Confidential inquiries and expressions of interest are encouraged. [email protected]
Pay: $150,000.00-$200,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
